


when the streetlamp light fills the gutter with gold

by SubbyP



Category: One Piece
Genre: Autistic!Zoro, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks, Public Display of Affection, Self-Indulgent, Sign Language, a short little thing while all of my other projects wait in the garage, g-rated public affection but still, obligatory request to change sanji's character tag to his actual name, when you write things inspired by your own meta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2020-06-26 19:38:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19775023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SubbyP/pseuds/SubbyP
Summary: A park bench outside of a tavern. A quiet conversation. A helping hand.





	when the streetlamp light fills the gutter with gold

“So how is it,” Sanji says, “that you can fight in an actual war but you can’t handle an overly noisy tavern?”

Zoro shifts peevishly. He’s too tall to lie down on this bench, especially while Sanji is taking up some of it, but there’s no way he’s taking his head off of Sanji’s lap or putting his legs down on the uncomfortable concrete. _I can’t hear the noise while I’m trying to stay alive, dumbass._

“I mean, that makes sense. I was just wondering.” Sanji stretches–Zoro’s got his eyes closed, but he can feel Sanji’s muscles shifting and hear the crack of his neck over the remnants of the tavern crowd.

Even this far down the street, Zoro can still hear the sounds of music and revelry. It doesn’t help his state of mind, but he wanted to stay close enough to the tavern that he could hear it if a crewmate needed him. Besides, there are other, calmer noises all around him–crickets, the hum of the streetlight, the sounds of the city getting ready for bed.

Sanji’s voice. Sanji’s breath. The beat of Sanji’s heart.

Zoro opens his eyes. _Hey, Sanji,_ he signs, although since his sign for Sanji is dragging his thumb over his eyebrow in a spiral pattern, it’s really more like _Hey, curlybrow._

“What’s up?”

_Thanks_. Zoro pauses, hands hovering in front of his chest. Even though it’s a lot easier for him to sign than it is for him to speak vocally, it still stings him to admit anything like defeat. _It got pretty harsh in there._

Sanji snorts and rolls his eyes. “Yeah–I could tell by the way you practically carried me out of there, ya fucking caveman.”

Zoro shrugs. He’s not wrong–the party was getting so loud so quickly that he was already too overwhelmed to speak by the time he realized he needed to go. Back before, he would’ve just wandered off alone, but things are different now in many ways, so he had grabbed Sanji by the waist and hustled him out the door. _I needed you._

It’s definitely a lot easier to say mushy stuff like that while he can’t be overheard.

Sanji sputters and smacks Zoro on the forehead. “You can’t just come at me like that with your–your Marimo Smoothness! How fucking dare you? Fuck off with that!” Even as he’s losing it, though, he’s signing, elegant hands tracing through the crisp night air:

_Hey, Zoro_ (or, rather, _Hey, moss ball_ ) _. I need you too._

There’s only so much mushy stuff a man can take at once, and Sanji’s smile is so bright and so lovely that Zoro can’t keep looking at it. He buries his blushing face in the garish fabric of Sanji’s shirt. _Pet my hair now._

“Oi, oi, whose head is in whose lap here? You don’t get to give me orders, you alley cat.” But there’s a laugh in Sanji’s voice, and his hand immediately weaves into the hair at the back of Zoro’s neck.

Zoro wants to stay awake to enjoy this, but he can already feel himself dozing off, and it’s not like it’ll be the last time this happens, so he lets Sanji’s hand rock him like a gentle wave away from the last vestiges of panic and into the soft and quiet dark.

**Author's Note:**

> Crossposted from tumblr.


End file.
